Former prison escapee among proposed ministers

Former Maze Prison escapee Gerry Kelly will join Conor Murphy, Michelle Gildernew and Caitriona Ruane as Sinn Féin's choice of ministers in the next Stormont government, the party confirmed today.

Mr Kelly, who headed up the party's internal consultations on policing, will be part of a ministerial team announced by Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

The announcements were made as the parties negotiated their choice of ministries at Stormont.

Mr Adams also confirmed that former Belfast Lord Mayor Alex Maskey will take over from Mr Kelly as Sinn Féin's policing and justice spokesperson.

The west Belfast MP said Martin McGuinness, who will be Deputy First Minister, Conor Murphy, Michelle Gildernew, Caitriona Ruane and Gerry Kelly were all experienced leaders who would make excellent ministers.

"It is clear that all of the parties are determined to restore the political institutions and to take up the many challenges that face people in their daily lives," the Sinn Féin leader said.

"It is now our collective responsibility to deliver on services for the elderly, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged, as well as developing and delivering programmes of work to rebuild our infrastructure and economy.

"In the election Sinn Féin made 10 commitments covering issues like the expansion of the all-Ireland agenda, the economy, the promotion of equality, rural affairs, policing and justice, housing and health, education and the environment.

"In Government Sinn Féin will work to deliver on these commitments."

The announcement came as talks continued between Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist, Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists over which government departments they will head up once power is devolved on May 8.

Under the d'Hondt mechanism for selecting devolved ministers at Stormont according to party strength, the DUP will have Ian Paisley as First Minister, four senior cabinet posts and a junior ministry.

Martin McGuiness will be Sinn Féin's Deputy First Minister and the party will have three senior ministries and a junior ministry.

Reg Empey's Ulster Unionists will be in charge of two Government departments and Mark Durkan's SDLP will have just one ministry.

Sources close to the talks felt it was unlikely other parties would name their ministerial nominees today.

However, they were hopeful that they would settle on the government departments that each party will be taking charge of when devolved Government is set to return on May 8.

The DUP and Sinn Féin have been keen to secure agreement on the choice of cabinet portfolios to enable prospective devolved ministers to prepare for government next month.

Mr Adams would not be drawn on who out of the four ministerial nominees would take the junior ministry in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.

“We are going to do a meeting with the other parties this afternoon,” he said.

“Hopefully we will get some sense then of what departmental choices we will be making.

“All of the people here are equals and the junior minister actually strategically will have a particular importance because he or she will be placed in the Office of First and Deputy Minister – working with the Deputy First Minister and the First Minister on issues like equality and all of the other matters that are at the core of that office.”

Mr Adams gave no indication what his party’s first choice of ministry would be in the new executive.